Profiles of Contemporary Art and - ARTisSpectrum

When asked about the work Broken City Lab is
creating and how it fits into the Social Practice art
spectrum, Justin A. Langlois, Research Director,
replied:
“Our efforts are focused on collaboratively shaping
the community in front of us. Again, it is in the
approach and ongoing artistically-driven process,
no matter the destination, which situates Broken
City Lab as a social practice. If a spectrum is to be
read as a space between two end points, I would
locate our work further from projects that hinge
on community participation, and closer to projects
that understand the social realities that make up
community, locality, and place as a foundational
component to artistic practice today.”
Photo Courtesy of Broken City Lab, Cross Border Communication (2010)
Public Social artists typically work conceptually and contextually,
utilizing art strategies in a myriad of public realms, including, but
certainly not limited to, popular media, social networking, urban
and rural public spheres. The work that is created aims to facilitate
an exchange of social reflections, inquisitive problem solving
and social personas. In this voyeuristic era of celebrity ‘tweeters’,
the line between what is personal and public is often blurred. We
frequently open our lives to the online social sphere for information,
and invite the advice of our peers. Finding parody in this pop
culture trend, Marc Horowitz, a celebrated artist, social practitioner,
and comedian, utilizes popular social networking giants to
work as a platform for his artwork. In a project titled, The Advice
of Strangers (2010), in collaboration with Creative Time, Marc
posted a problem or decision he was facing in his daily life for the
entire month of November. Constituting a relationship between
the artist and the audience, Marc’s dilemmas were broadcasted
for the world to see via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter; the
public then voted on how he should approach each predicament.
Marc filmed the execution of the winning vote to the immediate
gratification of his audience. Marc put his life and destiny into the Photo Courtesy of Marc Horowitz and Creative Time.
hands of the vast ether regions, also known as social networking.
The audience directed his day-to-day routine and could have forever altered his future. While the results were comical and
entertaining, the line of the thought behind the concept is valiant and prolific.
Needless to say, Social Practice art is flourishing and is already acknowledged by several universities as an area of fine art
concentration. Social Practice art can seem idealistic and utopian in nature, but it is this optimism and blanketed inclusion that
creates a connection and confident affection with the audience. The communicative art between artist and audience is an intention
that cannot be appraised for a financial value or pedigree. Its ability to move away from traditional art mediums and descriptions
into interdisciplinary interest makes it accessible to a larger ‘non-art’ demographic. Thanks to its engaging nature, Social
Practice creates a unique, intimate experience and will be a notable milestone in art history, indeed.
89 ARTisSpectrum